Colors on Other Planets: Here’s How Different Hues Will Appear in Alien Worlds

The human brain can considerably adjust to different light conditions. For instance, when wearing a pair of tinted sunglasses, the tint is noticeable initially, but colors begin to look "normal" again after a while.

This ability is also demonstrated naturally as we age. The lenses in the eyes of older people become more yellow than when they were younger. However, they do not see colors that way because their brains are correct for the difference.

So, how does the human brain adjust to color in a completely new environment? Experts have their say on what colors might look like in alien worlds.

Colors on Other Planets

Whatever the average color is, it will end up looking gray, according to cognitive vision scientist Michael Webster from the University of Nevada, Reno. According to his research, the exact mechanism that helps correct yellow lenses and tinted sunglasses is likely to kick in when astronauts travel to another planet. Depending on the predominant colors present in the new environment, the explorer's brain is expected to readjust to perceive them more neutrally.

Webster predicts that when people go to Mars, the planet will no longer be red in their eyes over time. As time passes, the Martian terrain will look browner or grayer. Meanwhile, the planet's ocher skies will appear bluer, although not as blue as Earth's, but less orange.

Not all skies on other planets will appear bluer over time. It depends on the dominant colors of the light that shine through the atmosphere relative to the dominant colors of the landscape.

In the color wheel, the opposite of orange is blue, so cooler tones will probably become more prominent as the brain of the astronauts shifts toward neutrality. If an astronaut lands on an exoplanet with purple vegetation and yellow skies, their brain might adjust differently.

The mental color filter of the human brain is not limited to hue, but it also adjusts for intensity. On a planet with a little natural color palette, the brain will become attuned to subtle shade changes. Over time, an individual will view washed-out colors as more vibrant, and vice versa.

Correcting the Hues With Filter

Instead of relying on the eyes and brains to adjust to a new planet, is it possible to create a device that can automatically filter the environment? Engineer and oceanographer Derya Akkaynak works on a similar problem at the University of Haifa in Israel. However, her research focuses on marine environments rather than outer space.

Even on another planet, pure bodies of water will appear blue because water partially filters out other colors of visible light. However, most bodies of water are not pure but are full of sediments, green phytoplankton, salt, and other particles that bounce off light particles around.

For this reason, objects appear in different colors based on the depth and type of water they are viewed through.

If the composition of the atmosphere and oceans of an alien planet is known, the interaction of light with them can be predicted. Then, this information can be used in creating an algorithmic filter such as Akkaynak's Sea-thru color reconstruction algorithm, which can correct the colors of the environment.

Until humans can go to another planet, it is still impossible to determine how adjusting to an alien color might feel. Here on Earth, the deep sea might offer a good approximation.